Gestational Diabetes

Question about Fasting numbers

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dw3500 wrote:

So I’m 3 days into testing and am learning that walking after each of my meals is really helping my numbers. But should I be waking before I test my blood first thing in the morning? My fasting numbers have been between 105-110. I have a protein bar and mild as a snack. I’m not sure what I should be doing in order to lower this number..... any input! Thank you!

My understanding is that overnight as you are fasting your body starts making sugar on its own to supplement. That’s why you eat a snack, to give you some sugar to hold off this process. While your body will make the sugar it won’t produce enough insulin to break it down. So, while walking before you test would probably lower your fasting number you really wouldn’t get an accurate measure of what your sugar is doing overnight, which is the whole point of the fasting number. The only advice I have is to try different bedtime snacks for now to see what works. Also keep track of how your numbers are based on how much time between your snack and when you test. You might find that you need to eat the snack later or wake up earlier to eat breakfast. Hope this helps.

No, you shouldn’t. The fasting number is your best indication of how your body is doing on its own, so if your numbers are high, you don’t want to potentially force them lower by walking because then you and your baby are still suffering the effects of elevated blood sugar the whole night. So take your reading as soon as you get up and report that number so that if you end up needing insulin/meds, you get them and don’t risk any negative effects. THEN if your number is high, eat breakfast and go for a walk to bring it back down :)

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